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Accretionary complex: Geological records from oceanic subduction to continental deep subduction

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Abstract

Accretionary complex was usually formed by offscraping of the subducting crustal material over the trench and thus often referred to as subduction zone mélange. The structure, composition and forming process of accretionary wedges can provide important insights into the evolution history of ocean basin, ocean-continent material cycle, continental accretion and thus contribute to understanding of the origin of plates and the growth of continents. Accretionary complex is characterized by a block-in-matrix structure associated with imbricate thrusts and isoclinal folds, diversified metamorphic types and intense water-rock interactions, which are distinct to the traditional stratigraphy. Since the proposal of the concept of accretionary wedge over a hundred years ago, great progress has been made in a variety of research focuses, such as the identification of the distribution of accretionary complexes, their compositions and formation mechanisms, the affinities of the matrix and igneous rocks, the recognition of the Ocean Plate Stratigraphy (OPS), the reconstruction of oceanic basin, the dynamic background of the tectonic evolution, the relationship between subduction zone and orogenic belt and, in particular, the accretionary complexes in continental subduction zones. These studies have significantly improved our understanding of the plate tectonic theory. Challenges remain in the identification of ancient accretionary complexes, the detailed analysis of accretionary complex zones, the accretion characteristics during continental collision, and the geochemical tracing of water-rock interaction during the accretion. China contains representative orogenic belts and accretionary complex zones in the world, and its geological records provide the best opportunity to make new breakthroughs in understanding of the plate tectonics.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Prof. Yongfei ZHENG for long-term guidance and kind invitation and valuable advice. The final version of this paper benefited from the constructive comments of four reviewers. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41730210), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0601304), the Chinese Geological Survey (Grant No. DD20190010) and Taishan Scholar Special Project Funds (Grant No. ts201511076).

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  1. Key Laboratory for Evolution of Past Life and Environment in Northeast Asia (Jilin University), Ministry of Education, Changchun, 130026, China

    Jianbo Zhou

  2. College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130061, China

    Jianbo Zhou

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Zhou, J. Accretionary complex: Geological records from oceanic subduction to continental deep subduction. Sci. China Earth Sci. 63, 1868–1883 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9652-6

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